Miniature fiber-optic pressure sensor with a polymer diaphragm

The fabrication and experimental investigation of a miniature optical fiber pressure sensor for biomedical and industrial applications are described. The sensor measures only 125 microm in diameter. The essential element is a thin polymer diaphragm that is positioned inside the hollow end of an optical fiber. The cavity at the fiber end is made by a simple and effective micromachining process based on wet etching in diluted HF acid. Thus a Fabry-Perot interferometer is formed between the inner fiber-cavity interface and the diaphragm. The fabrication technique is described in detail. Different sensor prototypes were fabricated upon 125 microm-diameter optical fiber that demonstrated pressure ranges from 0 to 40 and from 0 to 1200 kPa. A resolution of less than 10 Pa was demonstrated in practice. The fabrication technique presented facilitates production of simple and low-cost disposable pressure sensors by use of materials with that ensure the required biocompatibility.     

Exact analysis of low-finesse multimode fiber extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometers

A straightforward theory is presented to accurately model the light inferences in a low-finesse multimode fiber extrinsic Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer. The effect on the fringe visibility of the gap length, sensor structure imperfections, and modal power distributions is explored. The analysis is particularly useful in the design and optimization of sensors that use an extrinsic FP cavity as the sensing element.     

Analysis of a low-finesse Fabry-Perot sensing interferometer illuminated by a multimode optical fiber

A model of the reflected fringe system for an ideal plane-parallel, low-finesse Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity illuminated by a multimode optical fiber has been developed and experimentally validated. This showed that the phase dispersion within the cavity arising from the divergent nature of the incident illumination significantly degrades the visibility of the reflected fringes. Departures from the ideal FP cavity are also examined. The effect on fringe visibility when the plane of the FP cavity is tilted with respect to the fiber axis and when the cavity surfaces are no longer perfectly parallel to each other has been explored. The analysis described is relevant to the design and the optimization of multimode optical-fiber sensors that use FP sensing cavities.     

Grating-assisted demodulation of interferometric optical sensors

Accurate and dynamic control of the operating point of an interferometric optical sensor to produce the highest sensitivity is crucial in the demodulation of interferometric optical sensors to compensate for manufacturing errors and environmental perturbations. A grating-assisted operating-point tuning system has been designed that uses a diffraction grating and feedback control, functions as a tunable-bandpass optical filter, and can be used as an effective demodulation subsystem in sensor systems based on optical interferometers that use broadband light sources. This demodulation method has no signal-detection bandwidth limit, a high tuning speed, a large tunable range, increased interference fringe contrast, and the potential for absolute optical-path-difference measurement. The achieved 40-nm tuning range, which is limited by the available source spectrum width, 400-nm/s tuning speed, and a step resolution of 0.4 nm, is sufficient for most practical measurements. A significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio in a fiber Fabry-Perot acoustic-wave sensor system proved that the expected fringe contrast and sensitivity increase.     

Investigation of membrane deformation by a fringe projection method

An optical method has been developed to measure the deformation of a membrane in a microphone. A fringe projector that consists of an optical fiber and an optical wedge is described and analyzed by geometric optics. A three-step phase-shifting technique that involves the introduction of an arbitrary phase is discussed. The fine fringe patterns projected onto a small test surface are captured by a CCD camera mounted on a long-distance microscope. With the aid of a phase-shifting technique and signal-demodulating techniques, the proposed setup is capable of measuring deformation of the membrane of the order of as much as submicrometers.     

Theoretical analysis and measurement of the temperature dependence of a micromachined Fabry-Perot pressure sensor

In this study an analytical model that takes into account the coupled photoelastic and thermo-optical effects is established to evaluate the temperature dependence of a single-chip silicon micromachined Fabry-Perot pressure sensor. The results show that temperature variation has a significant effect on the performance of a micromachined Fabry-Perot pressure sensor with a conventional flat diaphragm. A new membrane-type silicon micromachined Fabry-Perot pressure sensor with a novel deeply corrugated diaphragm is then proposed. The sensor is fabricated on a single-chip by use of both surface- and bulk-micromachining techniques. Both analytical and experimental results show that the cross sensitivity of Fabry-Perot pressure sensors to temperature can be substantially alleviated by use of the proposed single deeply corrugated diaphragm.     

Laser-machined fibers as Fabry-Perot pressure sensors

Cavities have been laser ablated in the ends of single-mode optical fibers and sealed by aluminized polycarbonate diaphragms to produce Fabry-Perot pressure sensors. Both conventional fibers and novel, multicore fibers were used, demonstrating the possibility of producing compact arrays of sensors and multiple sensors on an individual fiber 125 microm in diameter. This high spatial resolution can be combined with high temporal resolution by simultaneously interrogating the sensors by using separate laser sources at three wavelengths. Shock tube tests showed a sensor response time of 3 micros to a step increase in pressure.     

Miniature all-fiber Fabry-Perot sensor for simultaneous measurement of pressure and temperature

This article presents a miniature, high-sensitivity, all-silica Fabry-Perot fiber-optic sensor suitable for simultaneous measurements of pressure and temperature. The proposed sensor diameter does not exceed 125 μm and consists of two low-finesse Fabry-Perot resonators created at the tip of an optical fiber. The first resonator is embodied in the form of a short air cavity positioned at the tip of the fiber. This resonator utilizes a thin silica diaphragm to achieve the sensor's pressure response. The second resonator exploits the refractive index dependence of silica fiber in order to provide the proposed sensor's temperature measurement function. Both resonators have substantially different lengths that permit straightforward spectrally resolved signal processing and unambiguous determination of the applied pressure and temperature.     

Micromachined optical fiber current sensor

We describe a micromachined optical fiber current sensor. The sensing element consists of a squared silicon membrane (8 mm long and 20 mum thick) that has a cylindrical permanent magnet (NdFeB alloy, 3-mm diameter, 1.5 mm high) fixed on its central region. This structure allows the permanent magnet to vibrate in the presence of the magnetic field gradient generated by an ac. A linear relation between the electrical current and the magnet displacement was measured with white-light interferometry with an optical fiber low-finesse Fabry-Perot microcavity. A measurement range of 0-70 A and a minimum detectable intensity of 20 mA were obtained when distance D between the membrane and the electrical power line was 5 mm. The output signal directly shows a linear response with distance D.     

High-resolution interrogation technique for fiber optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensors by the peak-to-peak method

An improved peak-to-peak method is developed for interrogating the absolute cavity length of fiber optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) sensors with high resolution. A fiber Fabry-Perot tunable filter (FFP-TF) is used to scan the optical spectrum of an EFPI, and the problems caused by the nonlinear performance and poor repeatability of the FFP-TF are removed by using a wavelength calibration technique. A linear fitting is used to calculate the wavelength spacing between two adjacent apexes in the optical spectrum, and the cavity length can be retrieved using this wavelength spacing. The experimental results show that the measuring resolution is improved from 25 to 1 microm, and a linear output is also obtained.     

Extrinsic Fabry-Perot cavity optical fiber liquid-level sensor

An optical fiber liquid-level sensor based on an extrinsic Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity is proposed and demonstrated. The FP cavity consists of the end of the single-mode optical fiber and the elastic silicon layer. Liquid pressures act on the mechanical construction to change the cavity length, resulting in differential phase shifts that may be observed as variations of the output signal intensity. Self-compensated steps have been taken to obtain high accuracy and long-term stability in realistic circumstances. Experimental results indicate that accuracy of 2 mm over a full scale of 3.5 m (water) is obtained under ambient temperature 10-38 degrees C. The sensor can be used to measure liquid levels continuously and accurately in explosive and flammable environments.     

腔长损耗对非本征F-P腔光纤传感器的影响

根据光学法布里-珀罗(F-P)腔基本原理,运用单模光纤能量散射模型分析了腔长损耗对非本征F-P腔输出光强度的影响.实验过程中所用的F-P腔由单模光纤端面和弹性硅片组成.实验结果表明,非本征F-P腔输出光强幅度随腔长增大逐渐衰减,其输出特性曲线中不同部分相同周期的线性工作区间却对应不同的测量量程和灵敏度,所以强度型光纤F-P腔传感器初始腔长应基于传感器的性能指标进行选取.     

Extrinsic fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor for refractive index measurement of optical glass

A simple fiber-optic sensor based on Fabry-Perot interference for refractive index measurement of optical glass is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. A broadband light source is coupled into an extrinsic fiber Fabry-Perot cavity formed by the surfaces of a sensing fiber end and the measured sample. The interference signals from the cavity are reflected back into the same fiber. The refractive index of the sample can be obtained by measuring the contrast of the interference fringes. The experimental data meet with the theoretical values very well. The proposed technique is a new method for glass refractive index measurement with a simple, solid, and compact structure.     

Toward virtual biopsy through an all fiber optic ultrasonic miniaturized transducer: a proposal

The present generation of devices based on opto-acoustic and acousto-optic conversion lets us foresee the possibility of realizing complete miniaturized transmitting-receiving transducers, able to generate and detect wideband ultrasounds by laser light. In the present paper, a miniaturized ultrasonic transducer entirely based on fiber optic technology is proposed. Such a device springs from the conjunction between our research, which has produced a highly efficient fiber optic opto-acoustic source, with the results obtained by other researchers concerning the realization of an ultrasonic receiver based on optical interferometry. Making use of the thermo-elastic effect for ultrasound generation, a source of ultrasound can be obtained by coupling a fiber optic to pulsed laser, if a film capable of absorbing laser light is placed onto fiber end. Starting from these remarks, we propose an efficient opto-acoustic source, able to generate pressure pulses with amplitude of the order of 10(4) Pa and bandwidth extending up to 40 MHz and beyond by using graphite materials as absorbing film. This solution makes use of a low-power pulsed laser as optical source possible. An ultrasonic receiving element was realized placing a Fabry-Perot cavity over the tip of a fiber optic. The cavity thickness modulation induced by ultrasonic beam is detected by an interferometer optical technique. We have realized a prototype of a receiving device that exhibits a sensitivity comparable with that of piezoelectric devices (10-100 nV/Pa) and an almost flat bandwidth extending up to 20 MHz or more. The extreme miniaturization of the resulting ultrasonic transducer, together with its wide ultrasonic frequency bandwidth, is the first step toward ultrasonic tissue biopsy. In this paper, before discussing the problem of constructing a complete ultrasonic transducer composed by a transmitter and receiver, the results carried out in these fields during the last decade are reviewed.     

压阻变换压力传感器的性能预测模型

热、压环境下压阻变换压力传感器的性能可以通过有限元方法预测．这里研究了简化的1／8模型，模型考虑了二氧化硅和氮化硅生成过程及堆阳极键合和胶粘结合过程．结果发现有限元预测结果和实验数据具有可比性．范例研究表明，硼硅堆导致产生一定的非线性，但它隔离了硬环氧树脂的非线性．在包装过程中最好使用柔性环氧黏合或软黏胶性结合．黏合材料的黏弹性和黏塑性将会导致传感器输出的滞后和漂移误差．然而，在相对稳定的环境下。软黏合剂对传感器的影响可以忽略．此外，详细的设计和过程信息有助于提高模型的适用性．     

Analytical model for low finesse, external cavity, fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers including multiple reflections and angular misalignment

We present an analytical model for single mode, multiply reflected, external cavity, optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers in the low finesse regime using simple geometry and the Gaussian beam approximation. The multiple reflection model predicts attenuation of the peak-to-peak interference as the fiber to mirror distance approaches zero, as well as fringe asymmetry in the presence of nonabsorbing mirrors. A series of experiments are conducted in which a series of fiber Fabry-Perot cavities are constructed using uncoated, single mode glass fibers, and mirrors of varying reflectivity. The cavity length is swept, and the predictions of the model are found to be in good agreement with the experimental interferograms.     

Embedded fiber-optic Fabry-Perot ultrasound sensor

A fiber-optic ultrasound sensor is presented. The sensor consists of a continuous length of single-mode optical fiber with a built-in Fabry-Perot interferometer. The acoustic pressure produces changes in the index of refraction along the interferometer cavity through the strain-optic effect, thus modulating the reflected power of the light propagating in the fiber. The dielectric internal mirrors that form the interferometer are fabricated by joining a fiber coating with a TiO(2) film at one end to an uncoated fiber by electric arc fusion splicing. Experimental results have been obtained for sensors embedded in plastic and graphite composite materials, using ultrasound waves in the range from 100 kHz to 5 MHz. Values for the optical phase shift amplitude as large as 0.5 rad were obtained at an acoustic frequency of 200 kHz for a 1.1-cm-long interferometer embedded in plastic.     

Measurement of a fiber-end surface profile by use of phase-shifting laser interferometry

We describe a laser interferometric system in which two objectives are used to measure surface profile on a connectorized fiber-end surface. By the use of the proposed illumination design a He-Ne laser as a point light source is transformed to an extended light source, which is beneficial to localize interference fringe pattern near the test surface. To obtain an optimal contrast of the interference fringe pattern, the flat mirror with an adjustable reflection ratio is used to suit different test surfaces. A piezoelectric transducer attached on the reference mirror can move precisely along the optical axis of the objective and permits implementation of four-step phase-shifting interferometry without changing the relative position between the CCD sensor and the test surface. Therefore, an absolutely constant optical magnification can be accurately kept to capture the interference fringe patterns resulting from a combination of light reflected from both the reference flat mirror and the test surface. The experimental result shows that surface profile on a fiber-end with surface features such as a small fiber diameter of 125 microm and a low reflection ratio of less than 4% are measurable. Measurements on a standard calibration ball show that the accuracy of the proposed setup is comparable with that of existing white-light interferometers and stylus profilometers.     

Direct extraction of phase gradients from Fourier-transform and phase-step fringe patterns

An approach to computing pixel-by-pixel gradients of optical phase directly from digitally encoded Fourier-transform or phase-stepped fringe patterns is described. This approach can be classified as a phase unwrapping but is really a sine-cosine demodulation technique that finds its roots in the differential cross-multiplier phase-demodulation technique commonly used by the optical fiber sensor community. This technique is algorithmically simple, does not rely on a computation of the arctangent, and therefore is not subject to some of the limitations of the standard phase-unwrapping methodologies. The proposed phase-gradient technique is demonstrated by the calculation of strain fields from moir6 interferometric fringe patterns.     

标准硅球直径精密测量系统的设计

基于多光束干涉的基本原理，导出了使用斐索干涉仪测量硅球直径多光束干涉光强分布的精确公式。针对目前的硅球直径测量系统忽略了多次反射对干涉信号造成的影响和系统中固有的条纹清晰度低的问题，研究了多次反射对干涉信号造成的误差，结果表明其最大光强误差可达到8％。通过对光学干涉系统结构设计和元件参数选择，最大限度地优化了干涉条纹的可见度，并设计出零背景光强标准硅球直径精密测量系统。数值模拟结果表明，该系统不仅极大地提高了干涉条纹对比度、消除了背景噪声，而且可通过改变透镜焦距调节干涉条纹的强度以达到CCD的最佳工作范围，从而提高了光强信号的测量准确度。